The blessing you didn't recognise- Part 1

I'm continuing my series of writings to equip those who don't share my Jesus faith to understand what Christianity is supposed to be about, so you can recognise when people are calling something 'Christian' that abso-blooming-lutely is NOT.

I also hope this series serves as a good reminder for us of faith of what the Bible actually says, in these days where it is often used and twisted in weird and wacky ways.

Today I want to talk about 'BLESSING'

Does 'blessing' mean what we think it means?

Yes and no.

When we talk about a 'blessing' we often talk about something going well for us, and it absolutely can mean that. HOWEVER.

It can also be something that is ULTIMATELY for our good or our protection, but that in the moment or in the eyes of the world, is anything but a 'blessing' as they understand it.

Let's break this down. 

There's an old saying by historian Lord Acton that:

'Power tends to corrupt; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

Using the common definition of 'blessing', having more power is a 'blessing'... but if Lord Acton was right, that power corrupts and when it is absolute or unopposable it corrupts in that absolute measure, then having a ton of power may better be seen as a burden or even a curse... if, of course, you are not a psychopath and actually care not to become corrupt! 

Looking back through history (never mind looking around the world today), it is easy to see those for whom having much power was not enough. Their hunger for power is insatiable and becomes increasingly cruel and callous as they try to satisfy their lust for more and more of it. They not only end up destroying themselves, but take many down with them. Some they take down through their corrupt actions, and others they destroy through their lack of care and concern for others, not least the weakest and most vulnerable in their society.

In our world today, we are trained to want power, to admire and believe those who have it, and at times to applaud and support their interests to the detriment even of our own interests!

We are taught that power, authority and influence are good desires and that we should pursue them. Yet how many influencers have found themselves with the power of a platform but the nightmare of online trolling or the aftermath of a [perceived] faux pas. How many have told of the damage it's caused their mental health and wellbeing? How many have ended up losing their lives as it all became too much?

Is this really the 'blessing' we were taught it is?

Line your own nest

More than just pursuing it, we're told that we need to in order to line our own nest and 'win' at life. Now, look, I'm NOT critiquing financial wisdom and being careful/planning ahead. Those are good things. What I'm talking about here is the extreme wealth of HOARDING (check out Luke 12:31-21). Nowadays, we're increasingly hearing the narrative that you should pursue being a millionaire/multi-millionaire/billionaire (not least in the online business space). Ok... but if you're a Christian, at what point is your accumulation less about being wise for the future or your family, and more about hoarding? Is your approach rich toward God and his call on the riches he has 'blessed' you with, or has the status/comfort/feeling of security those give you taken primacy in your heart?

Personal confession

See, here's what I've been wrestling with for a while now: so much of the marketing I see is about lining your own nest so you can survive through this rabid and rapidly polarising financial culture. But what I DON'T see is Christians calling out that culture or screaming blue murder for the people who are suffering as a consequence. I've been guilty of that myself. I bought into what people I respected were selling and learned from them because I thought my money mindset was weak. That's what I'd been told, and there was certainly room for growth.

Yet as I have done that work over the past 5+ years intensively, I've come to find that actually, it's the whole darn premise I'm not ok with. The paradigm we're in is insufficient for me to just go along with if I say I'm following Jesus. He had way more imagination and his ways of doing things are far more radical than just replicating the same old rubbish the world teaches and sticking a 'Jesus' label on it. 

So I'm wrestling with a different way that allows me to be wise, but also to carve a different path, and that means not buying into the lies and 'shoulds' society so casually burdens us with.

Back to Abraham

Let me take you back to the first book of the Bible now so we can do a compare and contrast on the world's attitude to 'blessing': you get more/things go well/ it's all yours to hoard because you deserve it...

In Genesis 12:2, God sets up the template to understand being given a lot, which can be simply understood as 'blessed to be a blessing'. There's two sides to this:

1. You are blessed: you are given something

2. You are to be a blessing

Whatever is given to you is given to you and what you're supposed to do is be a river, not a lake. Blessing that is given will have purpose for you AND others.

In our individualistic world, that might sound crazy radical, but if you understand how society works (or just understand how humans thrive) then this makes perfect sense.

Notice how it's also an immediate antidote to our human weakness to become 'power-hungry'. If you treat power/possessions/positions of authority with this approach, you will come in with a humility that it wasn't all you. You're positioned, sure, but you're not self-made. That's nonsense. Even if you don't believe in God, you don't get anywhere in life without some people somewhere keeping you alive early on, guiding your steps or giving you tools to succeed. So starting from humility and awareness of others getting you to where you are is a good start.

Then, once you've recognised the first bit, you've the chance to recognise the second: that it's not just about you. What you've got, learned, seen, are all things that can benefit others around you, and part of the 'blessing' is the responsibility to extend the blessing beyond yourself.

What to look out for

When Christians become power hungry, we're no different than anyone else. Watch out for:

1. Pursuing power - even under the guise of Jesus. Sure God can position you anywhere, but if you or a Christian you know is pursuing power, it has a different feel... something in the wild eyes and salivation...

2. 'Self-made', 'I earned it', 'I worked hard for this' or other self-congratulatory talk. Christians are supposed to recognise that 'all good gifts come from above' (James 1:17) and be REALLY careful lest they credit themselves where credit belongs to God. I get that it's a really fine line when you're trying to market yourself online, but when you start to listen to someone, you'll hear from their heart whether they deep down believe they did it all themselves, which for a Christian is problematic.

3. An implicit 'IT'S MINE' lurking in the background. If a Christian is hoarding and not generous towards those with less, that's a heart issue that needs dealt with. We don't get to be greedy, selfish or to say we'll be generous when we get to X amount of wealth. Apart from anything else, that suggests that we don't trust God to provide for us. It also suggests we're overlooking over 2000 verses that talk about caring for the poor, needy and vulnerable in society.

In Part 2 of this mini-series I am going to talk about another aspect of 'blessing' that is a bit more messy and that is likely to make a few people grumpy. Coming soon!